The Storm by EliseMellark
Prologue My name is Kellan DeRaps. My memory was wiped because of a genetic mishap. If you have the patience, let me tell you my story. If you’re willing to listen, you might want to find a chair or something, because this will take a while. Part I - Scratchy Sheets I wake up in a bright and blurry place. When my eyes adjust, I sit up, and realize that I’m in a hospital. I’m laying on a bed in a teal room. And the sheets on the bed are really scratchy. Like really. “Wh-what?” Then I see a woman with a yellow streak in her hair, standing there, watching me with a concerned look on her face. “How are you doing?” She asks. “Who are you?” Thoughts buzz around in my head, making me have to lay back down. Where am I? Who am I? What am I even doing here? The woman is obviously taken aback with my question. “You-you don’t remember me?” I reply, “I-I’m sorry. I don’t remember you, let alone remember who I am, or why I should try to remember anything, for that matter.” The woman says, “Well, your name is Kellan DeRaps, you are 17 years and two days old, and you loved to play...to play soccer,” the woman said, choking back a sob. “I-I’ll be right back. Just lay down and try to relax.” How can I relax when I don’t know what to relax about? And who is she and why is she crying about me? Why did she say 'and two days'? Am I dead? Or maimed? I shudder at the thought of a body, my body, sprawled out on pavement. When the woman leaves, I close my eyes and try to remember. Something. Anything. But alas, I’m a clean slate, free of stains or cracks. The woman said I love to play soccer. The word soccer triggered something in my mind because brief flashes of grass, a grey sky, a soccer ball, and a girl with blonde hair and grey eyes play across my mind. Those eyes stared at me with the intensity of a storm cloud. Literally. I replay the memory in my mind a few times. Whatever I remember, it’s important to finding my identity, and I need to find that soccer field. The woman comes back in, having wiped her tears and had composed herself. “How are you doing?” she asked. “Fine,” I say. “Did I wake you?” “No,” I hadn’t realized that my eyes had been closed. “Okay, good. Are you hungry? Do you want anything to eat? You must be starving! Let me get you something. What do you want?” Oh, I’m not very hungry, but thank you.” The woman, embarrassed because of her babbling, just said “Call me if you need anything,” and sped off to wherever she needed to go. Seriously, why would she care so much about me? Wait! She's my mom! We have the same hair, same eyes, same complexion. Who else could she be? I ring the bell to tell the woman I need help. When she came, she asked, "You rang?" "I was just wondering who you were." "Oh, I'm your...mother." The silence boomed like thunder. To fill in the silence, she asked "Was there anything else you needed?" "Could you get me a glass of fruit punch please?" "Sure, sweetie." Then she leaves me alone. Again. So she really is my mom... I hate this amnesia thing. So (I think) I get hit on the head with a soccer ball, and I lose my memory? Unreal. How could that even work? I couldn't have been hit that hard… ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ When I wake up, there’s a glass of fruit punch with mostly melted ice on the table beside me. I didn’t even remember falling asleep. But there she was. It was her. The girl from the soccer field. She was crying. "Kellan? Do you remember me? I'm Claire. I brought you flowers and some oatmeal cookies...They were your favorite." "Thank you," I said, salivating at the sight of those cookies. Apparently, I remembered that, but not anything else. "I remember you, but not you, if that makes any sense," I tell her. "So you don't know who I am at all?" Claire asked, looking up from crying. I shook my head no slowly. Then Claire speed-walked toward the door of Kellan's room, with her mother closely following behind her. Then my own mother walked in. "Did you remember her at all?" "No. Just what she looked like. Not her." "Oh...I was just hoping…seeing her would make you remember somehow…" Well, it didn't. SO JUST SHUT UP. My head had been pounding and everything hurt. It was the insanity talking. And the shock. And the wondering if I could ever be normal ever again. It was also the fact that I saw the totally hot doctor's assistant walk past, and I was a mess. There was a mirror in her room, and I saw that I had dark circles under my eyes, I was breaking out, my hair was greasy, I was sweating like nuts because the heat was up too high, my finger-nails were incredibly long with a bunch of dirt underneath, and I stunk. Literally. So you can see why I was freaking out and depressed. Even if I can’t remember Claire at all, I don’t want to be embarrassed around her. I was going to have a serious talk with her about what had happened on The Field. If she ever came back. I’d acted like an idiot. Why couldn't have I just said that I remembered something else about her to spare her feelings? "Hey Mom, umm, where can I take a shower?" "I'll have to help you, but it's through that door and to the left," she said, pointing to the door. So I got up with my mom’s help, and walked toward the door. I felt light-headed and my muscles ached, but I kept going. If I take a shower, then I'll feel better. Most people usually do, right? But I’m not like most people. ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ When I got out of the shower and had gotten dressed, a tall guy with strawberry blonde hair was waiting for me. He got up from his chair to greet me. Blondie said "I'm Devon Johnson. Most people just call me Dev. I'm your best friend,” he pauses. “I mean, I was before your accident, depending on if you remember me. Which you probably don't, but I just wanted to know." Okay. I took a deep breath. I won't mess this up like with Claire. I just need to remember something…Then I did. "You were at the game, weren't you?" "Uh, yeah. I, uh, kinda carried you to the ambulance," Dev replied bashfully. "Oh, well...thanks." "No prob. So do you remember anything else? Like the first time we met?" Like the first time we met? That sounded like he was my boyfriend. Was he? I tried to put the news as gently as I could, but still making my point. "I'm really, really sorry. But I don't remember much else other than I got whacked with something. I don't want to hurt you. I really don't. You have no idea how hard it is to lose your memory and then have all of this...this…'you-lost-your-memory' crap shoved in front of you. I feel like I'm…like I'm in a soccer game, but I don’t know the rules, and on top of that, I'm the referee. It's just so overwhelming. So again, I'm sorry." He just stood there and said "Okay." Dev sat down again and rubbed his temples with his fingers. "I need some time to process this. Just...don't go anywhere. Not that you could..." "Like you needed to remind me." I tried to suppressed a smile, surprised at her sudden mood swing. I must not have done a very good job, because Dev smiled back. "I missed that smile." "You missed my smile? Are you sure you're just my friend?" I smiled again. "How long have I been out?" "A couple of days. You got knocked out on your birthday," Dev replied. "And yes, I'm sure we are just friends. But..." Dev cleared his throat. I just ignored it. Partially. I had too much on my mind. I didn't have time to deal with a relationship now. "Are you serious? This is too weird. Like a movie. Like a action-comedy-romance-sci-fi kinda thing." "Well, get used to it, because this is real life.” Part II - Real Life Begins When Dev left, my mother came back in and said "He likes you. A lot. I can tell." "Don't be silly, Mom. He said we were like best friends." He couldn't possibly like me that way now. I could be a completely different person now that I'd lost my memory. "I know, but he still sees you as her. Like I do." I just don't know how to explain how I feel. "I--I hate that everybody talks about me as if I was a different person. Which technically I am, but I'm still me, still the same heart beating, still the same brain thinking, just a different…I don't know…mindset?" "I know the feeling…" My mom murmured, not meaning for me to hear. Something just snapped inside of me. I didn't know what it was, but it just made me so mad at everything. Dev, Mom, Claire, this stupid hospital, even myself. "No, Mom, you wouldn't know how this feels! Everybody you've ever known, wiped from your memory! You have no flipping idea! I have to start completely over! I might as well just put on a disguise and pretend to be someone else! Or just move out on my own and wander around aimlessly until I collapse again! That's sounding like a pretty good idea right now! "Stop talking like you know what I'm going through! You don't! You never will! You're probably not even my mom! Maybe you're just some lady the government hired to keep me from going insane! Well, you can tell your little government agents that it's too late for that! Just go away! I never want to see you again!" I don’t care if she’s sad or mad at me. I don’t regret what I said. Not one bit. My 'mom' stood up, nodded, and left the room. ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ My mom only came to my room when I was sleeping to bring me food and to check on me. Things got better, though. I started to talk to her more, and eventually, things almost got to where they were before. Still, there was some awkwardness whenever we talked about my memory. The day came when I was finally checking out of the hospital. My father, Dev, Claire, and my mother were all there. It was my mother's idea to let me hang out with Dev for a little while. She said we 'needed the privacy and time to bond'. I just rolled my eyes. Dev had been coming every day to talk with me, but he showed no romantic feelings. I didn't mind; I liked having someone to talk to. It was boring, sleeping, waking up, and sleeping some more all the time. I thought of him as a best friend, and not much more. Maybe… Dev took me to the pier. He said it was where we usually hung out when there was nowhere else to go. "So how's it like, to not remember anything?" Dev asked, nonchalantly. "Don't remind me." "You forgot? That’s ironic. Or were you just thinking about how devastatingly handsome I am?" I looked away from him. I didn’t realize that I hadn't blinked for almost a whole minute. "I'm just kidding, you know." There was nothing but the waves crashing against the pier. I couldn't stand the awkwardness anymore, so I just went right out and said "How do you feel about me? I mean, do you like me, or do you just like joking about it?" "That blow to the head really did do stuff to you. You're usually not this blunt." "You didn't answer my question: do you like me or not?" I was on the verge of anger. Why couldn’t he just answer me? "I'm not gonna make a declaration of love or anything, but…I don't know. Can we just drop it?" "Nope." "Still stubborn as a mule, though," he said, laughing. "But if you really must know…I've had a crush on you since the second grade," and he just sighed. "It’s kind of pathetic, but you have no idea how long I've wanted to tell you that." “Dev, that’s so sweet.” This made me realize that I liked Dev…a little. Maybe not as much as he liked me, but there was definitely something there. "You've liked me since the second grade, but you never told me? Not before the accident? Not even hinted?" Dev said "I've hinted. A lot. Even after the accident," he stopped, but then said "Sometimes…sometimes I just want to shake you and make the old you come back. Not that I don't like you now…but I just wish things were the way they were. It was…less complicated." I wanted to be completely honest. So I was. "Dev, I really like you. A lot. Not that way, as a best friend…But I do like you that way a little," I gave a tiny smile, hoping to reassure him. "That's enough Oprah for today." Dev turned away and motioned for me to get in the car. As he drove me to my house (which I had yet to see), Dev kept a straight face. It would have been wrong to lead him on, so it’s better this way, I decided. When he said we were on my street, I said "Turn around." "Why?" "Just turn around." "Wh--" "Trust me," I turned toward him, determined. "Though I may have lost my memory, I haven't forgotten how to drive. Dev, get in the back." "Tell me why," Dev demanded, moving to the backseat anyway. I stopped for a moment to look at him and say "We're being followed." Part III - The Medallions I put the pedal to the metal, as they say. I didn't care if I was caught or ticketed, I needed to get away. This voice inside of my head was saying Get away from them Go Go Go Go. So I listened to my conscience, (At least that's what I thought it was. It sounded way too much like my mom, though.) and I drove as fast as Dev's car would go. Which was only 60, at best. Anything past that, and it started to wheeze like a smoker with asthma. Their Porsche 911 Targa was too fast for us. Dev knew all about cars. "Man, I really need a car like that." We pulled up to the pier again. We were surrounded. Two other cars just like the first one had joined them. A man with dark hair and dark features got out of the car and walked towards us. "Kellan DeRaps?" He called. "Y-yes?" "Give us the medallion, and no one gets hurt." "What medallion? I don't have one." I was seriously confused. What medallion? "Don't play stupid. We know you have it." "Uh, well, I don't." "You do. Your Storm was 3 weeks and 2 days ago." "My what?" More stuff I don't know. Great. "They honestly didn't tell you?” the man said, sounding surprised. “That's the DeRaps for you, never telling their own family anything,” he said to his comrades. “To sum it up, if you’re part of the DeRaps or the Radke family, your Storm happens when you turn 17. During your Storm, you get shocked by lightning. That’s when you get a special power. You also get a medallion that you must wear at all times, or your power cannot be wielded. We are…people who want to stop this. We, er, collect the medallions to keep the members of The Storm Council from using their powers for evil. Or at all, really," the man said with a smile that could only be described as terrifying. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Canderous Wade, the leader of the Tranquilites. We try to…keep the peace, as our name suggests.” This guy is starting to creep me out. Like, a lot. I forgot Dev was there when he said “How can we know we can trust you?” Even though I had known Dev for a couple of weeks, I already knew when he was pretending not to know something. “Dev, you know what they’re talking about, don’t you?” “Ooh, so lover boy hasn’t told you about it either? This is going to be good,” Canderous said, with a slight smile. “Kell, I can explain--” Dev started. “No. NO! I’m tired of everybody keeping things from me! You need to tell me everything about everything from now on, what all of this Storm crap is, how you really feel about me, and no more secrets, okay?!” “Sure. Everything about everything. Got it. When we get home.” “Then let’s go home. Right now.” “But you really must stay, because how else are we going to get the other medallions?” Canderous asked. “I’m a ransom?” I looked at Dev with an alarmed expression. He looked composed, but a hint of anger was in his eyes. “Actually, Canderous, I have a better idea,” Devon said. There was a Grandfatherious look on his face. And it was then that I realized that the Tranquilites and their leader had collapsed. Part IV - The Storm Council When The Storm Council walked out from behind the Tranquilites’ cars, I didn’t move. It was obvious that they were The Storm Council because they had matching sweatshirts (Sweatshirts! They were this fancy Storm Council and they wore matching sweatshirts!) with a cloud and a lightning bolt stitched on the top right corner. Dev greeted them with a smile and even hugged one of them - the big burly one with a scar shaped like a lightning bolt just above his left eye. He didn’t seem much older than I was, probably 19 or 20. Behind the muffled hellos, I could tell that his name was Mike. For some reason, Mike was staring at me like I was some kind of freak. Dev walked back to me and steered me to the car with his hand in the small of my back. It was the most physical contact we’d ever had. It was really weird, especially after what had happened all but 25 minutes ago. He had his smug smile on his face. I scowled in response. I had a headache and my arms and legs were sore. I have a tendency to take out my pain on other people, I’ve learned. “What’s wrong, Miss Crabbypants?” “I don’t know. Something’s wrong. My arms and legs hurt.” “It’s just the Aftermath,” he said casually. “Oh yeah, you don’t know about that yet. Well, it’s like after an earthquake, but there’s still tremors. After you get your Storm, you feel physically hurt, likes aches and pains, but the other side effects depend on your Gift. Your Gift is the power you get after your Storm,” Dev looked at me, seeing if I was getting anything he said. I understood most of it, but how I got my power, what it is, and where my medallion is is still a mystery. I nod. “Canderous was saying something about the DeRaps and Radke family. Your last name is Johnson. How come you know about this? Do you have a Gift? What is it? How do you contr--” “Whoa, slow down. Okay, well, I’m a freak. Like you are to the others. We’re not freaks in the same way, though. I’m a freak because I’m in no relation to the DeRaps or Radke families and I have a Gift. You’re different than the others because you lost your memory after your Storm. You were a top notch student during training. You get prepped for your Storm before you turn 17. It’s much easier to help you after that,” he explains. “I didn’t have any training either, because I didn’t know it was coming. My gift is telekinesis, you know, being able to control stuff with your mind. It’s pretty cool, actually. It makes finding the remote easy.” He smiles, but becomes serious again. “Memory loss, that’s not a normal side effect. No side effects are normal, really, but yours is exceptionally so. Side effects aren’t supposed to directly effect anything in the frontal lobe of the brain,” he thought about this for awhile. “I shouldn’t be telling you this. You’re probably overwhelmed.” There’s a man in white robes walking towards me. Dev whispers in my ear, “Don’t listen to Mike, by the way. He’s just jealous he hasn’t got as much attention in his whole life than you’ve gotten in the past two weeks.” I got chills. I couldn’t help it. He was so close. I’m not sure if he noticed. He probably did. The man walks to me with a grim smile on his face. I’m not sure if he’s scared of me because I’m such a genetic abomination. “Hello Kellan. I am Ludovico Roberto Emilio Radke IV. To answer the question you are most likely about to ask, I am your mother’s great-grandfather. Since my name is such a hassle to pronounce, you may call me Vic or Grandfather or whatever you wish.” “Whoa, whoa, whoa. So Mom knows about this too?!” My knees start to buckle underneath me. “Yup,” Dev replied, smiling my favorite smug smile. “Why didn’t you tell me? I wouldn’t have yelled at her…Does…does she…?” I couldn’t finish my sentence. I see Dev nod and I faint. ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ I see my mother. At first, she is smiling, but then her smile turns into a devilish grin and she starts running towards me. She changes into Dev. I try to run away, but he is too fast. Just as his hand reaches me… I’m gasping for air and sweating. I’m okay. I’m safe in my room. (I think it’s my room.) It was just a dream, just a dream. Dev has his hand on my shoulder. I reach out and hug him. There’s nothing but us, sitting there, arms in an embrace. He smells so clean, like fabric softener. I hug him tighter, despite my fatigue. I may be really confused about everything else, but I do know one thing for certain: I am officially in love with Devon Johnson. Part V - Information Overload The thing that I don’t understand is why the DeRaps and Radke families have these special powers in the first place. Where did they come from? What’s my power? Where’s my medallion? I need to find out. Soon. But I’ll ask them later. The main thing right now is Dev. What should I do? What did that hug even mean? Was it a friendship hug or an ‘I like you’ hug? He’d love the second one, so I’m gonna go with it. I sure meant it like that. I get up from my bed and walk outside. There he is. Oh God, he’s walking towards me. Just act cool. Composed. Don’t forget to breathe! my lungs scream at me. Why am I so nervous? I bite my lip just as he stops in front of me. “Hey beautiful,” he says. My heart skips a beat. Or did it just stop completely? Those two words say so much. This desire I have…it’s so strong. It’s like I can’t survive without him. Mom says I’m a hopeless romantic, and she may be right. But maybe...maybe I’m not as hopeless as she thought. ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ I’m now walking to go see Grandfather. I’m freaking out. My great-great-grandpa doesn’t seem like a people person. How is that guy even alive? I’m also freaking out because Dev has both arms around me, guiding me to the Cavern. They had to put a blindfold on me because I’m not officially on the Council yet. I lost my memory and don’t remember anything, so I’m obviously not to be trusted. And I completely forgot to put on deodorant today, so I smell. Today is not my day. I take a deep breath and decide I’m just going to keep walking and enjoy the fabric softener scent wafting from Dev. When we get there and Dev takes off the blindfold, I see that the Cavern isn’t really a cavern. Not anymore, anyway. It used to be a real cavern before Grandfather made some major renovations. He felt it needed to be more homey. Apparently, Grandfather has this huge inheritance from his mother. I wonder why we never got any of it. To be honest, I was actually expecting the Batcave, but it looks normal enough. Blue carpeting, dim lighting, tan walls. But the thing you first notice when you walk in is this ginormous banquet table lined with chairs on each side. There’s also a big bowl of water on the pedestal on my left side. As each Council member walks in, they each dip their index finger in the water. It turns green when they do and they keep walking. It’s my turn, and I’m not sure what to do. Dev says “Go on,” and I dip my finger in. It turns green. “That was your test,” Dev whispers. “You passed. Congrats, you’re now in the infamous Storm Council.” I do a mental happy dance. I’m not going to be shunned for the rest of my life by my family and possible boyfriend. Yippie! I walk in and sit down at the seat next to Dev. I realize I haven’t released his hand since we were back at my house. I don’t let go. My mother sits next to me. “Congratulations!” she whispers. “Why are we whispering?” I ask. “I don’t really know,” and she smiles. Grandfather sits down and calls the Council meeting to order. “If I may have your attention please. Thank you. Before we begin, I would like to regard the fact that we have all just witnessed the confirmation of my great-great-granddaughter to the Storm Council.” He stops and looks at me. “I am quite sure you are confused about many things, my child. Do not fret. After this meeting is adjourned, I will explain everything.” And he does. The rest of the meeting was about the current threat of the Tranquilites. And me. “Canderous is interested in one of us,” Grandfather says. “And I believe that person is Kellan. He has a certain interest in her, I suspect, because he knows there is something, ah, different about her. She must be protected at all costs. If Kellan is somehow taken hostage, she could be forced to give out information that would destroy our existence. Do whatever you must to keep her alive. “The meeting is adjourned, but everyone remain here,” he says. “Kellan, follow me outside.” Part VI - A Rare Beauty We go outside and walk into this humongous garden. It’s the most beautiful place I’ve ever been to, with flowers of every color you could imagine. We sit down at a bench. “You must be thinking wondering how I am alive, correct?” He asks. I nod. “I thought so. That’s what everybody thinks when they first meet me. My gift is that I live forever. It sounds great at first, but when you start to realize everybody around you dying, that’s where it gets lonely. “Enough about me. We are here to talk about you. What side effects are you experiencing?” “Umm, well I’ve had a little bit of nausea at times, migraines, body aches, a rash on my lower back, and obviously, memory loss,” I tell him. “All of those side effects are normal. And the rash is where the lightning hit, but I cannot explain what happened with your memory. “You and Devon are alike in many ways. He, as you probably know, is from neither the DeRaps or Radke family, but can preform telekinesis. Devon also had troubles remembering things, but it has gotten better. We can only hope for the best with you. About your mother, she lost her memory too,” he looks almost sad when he says this. “So I’m not alone? That’s a relief. But Grandfather, when do I find out what my gift is?” He thinks for a moment and then says, “When you find your medallion. Listen very closely to me. To find it, you must go on a quest to the Sierra Nevada Mountains, where you will come across a cave that opens to the north. “Within that cave will be a pedestal, just like the one in the Cavern. These pedestals are sisters, and they share a great bond. If you place your forefinger in the water as you did before the meeting, a door will open. “You were born in June, so you will take the moonstone medallion. Moonstone--Rare, but a beauty,” and he smiles at me with a grandfatherly warmth. I feel the blood rush to my face. “Once you have it, take it in your hand and recite this exact phrase: ‘Tonitruum rotulorum, lucens in luna est illa’. It translates to: The thunder rolls, shining in the moon is she. Do not worry if you forget. I have written it down for you,” and he gives me a scrap piece of paper. There it is, in his wonderful cursive script: Tonitruum rotulorum, lucens in luna est illa. Part VII - Preparation “How will I get to the Sierras?” I ask. “You will choose two members of the Council to accompany you on this journey. They will know the way, as they have been on this trip before.” I’m definitely bringing Dev. No doubt. And Mom. “Let us go tell the others of your journey.” We walk back to the Cavern. Everybody is in the same spot as before. “I have an announcement,” his voice booms, despite his age. “Kellan will be traveling to the Sierras. As you know, she has the opportunity to pick two people to accompany her. Kellan, if you are ready, you may choose now.” “I choose Dev and Mom,” I say with confidence. Everybody looks at me like I’m crazy. Then Grandfather speaks. “Kellan, given my age, I have forgotten one detail. We’re all family here, but we need someone to vouch for you in further discussions, and the only person that can do that for you is your mother, as you are still a minor. “So, I’m sorry to say, you must choose another person to accompany you. I cannot change the rules. I am sorry.” I look for another girl to bring, someone who will understand by boy trouble. Carly? No, she hates me. Sandra? Too awkward. Cecile? She’s pretty nice, but she did pull my hair that one time when we were 9... Lila? She’s sorta quiet, but she’s kind enough. “I would like to bring a girl, but I want to know their gifts so I know who will be most useful,” I say. “Very wise of you. Who would you like to know about?” Grandfather inquires. “I would like to know about Lila. What is her gift?” Lila steps forward. She says nothing, but then closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, holds out her hand, and a purple flower grows, right there in front of my eyes. She gives it to me, and I sniff. Fabric softener. How did she know? A voice in my head says I have two gifts. I am different, like you. “Whoa!” I exclaim. “Can you really read minds and…get in my head? And grow stuff?” That’s why she’s so quiet. She just talks to everybody in their heads. “Yes,” she says. “I pick you to come with me,” I declare. “Okay,” and Lila says nothing more. ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ ☁ We gather everything we will need. We don’t need food because Lila can grow plants in any climate. That’s pretty awesome. We bring water purifying tablets, water bottles, canteens, rope, I bring a pocket knife for myself, and we each get backpacks for everything we need to carry. Dev comes up to me. How does he always smell like that? “Hey. You ready?” “Yup. I already said my goodbyes. Where’s Lila?” I haven’t seen her all day. “She’s in the truck already. Do you want me to drive?” Dev loves to drive. I look to the left and there’s a purple peony bush there. I never noticed it before. Lila. Dev picks a peony and gives it to me. I sniff it (as I do with all flowers) and I smell fabric softener. “Let’s go,” I say, and he puts his arms around me, and we do. ' To be continued in…' The Arrival by Emma Watkins Acknowledgments I would like to thank my parents for letting me staying up so late to finish this! I would also like to thank the artists from my playlist for inspiring me: Christina Perri (my favorite singer ever!), Muse, Paramore, Coldplay, Bridget Mendler, Taylor Swift, and many more that would take way too long to mention! I would like to thank my best friends in the whole wide world for letting me ramble about plot twists: Jeff, Cameron, Lillie, and Allison. I would also like to thank Lillie for proofreading! :)